Reading all the discussions about where to buy provisions for the KNP got me thinking about what and how people eat when visiting Kruger and other parks.We tend to go to a fair amount of trouble for our visits, prepairing meat packs, making sosaties, boerewors, and potato fritters in advance. We have tomatoes, mushrooms, bacon, sausages, eggs etc for picnic site breakfasts and have them most mornings. I take my paella pan to prepare the brekkie rather than a disc type. The pan toasts bread beautifully and is large enough to contain everything. While wielding the egg lifter I need to balance myself with a Black label in the other hand. Cant help it. Breakfast is a highlight of our visits. We are not big on lunch, a fruit and/ or yoghurt usually does the trick, but we love our evening braais. I make a big camp fire, using wood plus charcoal brickettes. Side dishes are either toasted sandwiches done on a hinged grill, and salad. Next night perhaps a pasta (The Knorr 10 minute packs are handy and delicious) and of course mealie pap. We even find time for game-viewing between meals

My SO and elder daughter are listmakers: they plan every menu and every ingredient for every meal. I get lists to buy on which even the snacks are specified.Everything is packed and nothing is ever left behind.We have lovely meals all the time we are in the Park and snack all the time in the car.When we get home, everything left over is unpacked and half of the carefully selected ingredients are packed into my grocery cupboard, untouched. I find that improvisation as you go along makes for the most relaxed holiday. After all, I will rather sit for hours watching the sky change than preparing an elaborate, pre-planned meal!We will see which way works best when the two non-listmakers go camping alone in September! I'm sure we will not go hungry!

_________________The world is truly round and seems to start and end with those we love...Nelson MandelaDecember '12????1-6 May '13

Last edited by Bushmom on Sat May 01, 2010 4:52 pm, edited 1 time in total.

To get back to the actual cooking part, one thing that is definitely packed by me is marinated ribs for at least one meal! They are precooked, quick to prepare and delicious. The left-overs, if any, is served in the car as breakfast the following morning (with wet wipes!).Hope that is one of your favourites too, Ecojunkie!

_________________The world is truly round and seems to start and end with those we love...Nelson MandelaDecember '12????1-6 May '13

In terms of bush cooking.. I am very basic. There are a few things that are a must for me though..

the quality of the meat, particularly boerri.I cannot deal with butchers that use unmentionables in the boerrie. I do taste it For any G'teng person here, let me mention Sloane's or Checkers champion boerrie.

I am also a butternut fan in potjie. Not matter what you cook, use butternut as a thickening agent instead of anything else and there is a potjie to die for.

_________________The bird doesn't sing because it has answers, it sings because it has a song.

My meat I will buy just outside the park and then make a perfect marinade of mixed spices and herbs and Garlic and will leave it in there for a day or two.

In the morning we will make a nice pot of coffee and wash down a few pieces of bread with it.

Fruit for in the afternoon.

And in the evening we braai that delicious meat and wors.Together with a fruitsalad and some more bread it goes down in a jiffy.Coffee and a glass of Glenn after that with the beautiful African choir in the background.

Inbetween meals we enjoy the hospitality of places like Nkulu or Tshokwane. We try not to end up at the local greasy spoon in one of the camps

We bring our own meat in the Landy's refrigerator , usually ( homegrown ) lamb , plus boerewors . This is braaied over coals from "wingerd-stompies " ( grapevine braaiwood ) , which gives the meat it a very nice added aroma . Depending on how hot the day has been , may drink a beer or two whilst my SO sips a cider , or we relax and enjoy a bottle of red wine from the REAL winelands ( Matthys will confirm that ).

LIFE IS TOO SHORT TO DRINK POOR WINE !

_________________Tread softly , and let your departure not be spoiled by the damage of your arrival

I also usually plan meals ahead. Not actually making anything except for the first night. This then is usually chick pea salad with chicken on braai and one veggie in season. 2nd Day - good old pap and boerewors, (left overs for breakfast on the road). 3rd day/night. Chicken drum sticks and potato baked in foil. One of these nights (if it is in July/Aug) I make pancakes as well. 4th Day - Steak and salad. 5th Day - Potjie! Have not stayed longer than 5 days except for this coming Sept so will have to think of what to make on 6th day. Eggs and bacon is usually only for one breakfast at a picnic spot (not too fond of eggs), but, somehow my family (including me) likes eggs cooked and cold for next day's breakfast on the road.

Dinner is always a braai with some meat from home. In cold winter nights - I like boiling some potatoes and mielies in one pot (less dishes), and a salad. For warmer weather - I make a potato salad at home, take it with and a fresh green salad, sometimes sandwiches on the open fire (braaibroodjies) and voila!

We are also planners. One of our favourite meals are rumpsteak on the fire, mcain chips cooked in oil on the fire in the driepoot black pot with a selfmade muchroom sauce to go on the steak and spur sauce for the chips it is a quick and easy meal.

We are not serious planners - as we have found that we plan meals, then change our minds when in the park, and end up bringing food back home. As we tend to go for quite a long time (2-3 weeks) we will pack lots of condiments, marinade sauces etc, and veggies like butternut, potatoes and onions that will keep. Take along meat for the first 4 days. Always a tin or two of Bully beef as a standby. But we "raid" the park shops, and if they have any interesting meat for braais, we will buy some. As we are only 2, the price difference is nothing compared to the fuel bill to get there in the first instance.

Breakfast either a skottel brekkie or left-overs from last night's braai, lunch is whatever is available, always cold, and evenings a proper braai (wth enough for tomorrow's breakfast). A couple of evenings will be a potjie, and at least one evening bully beef potjie.

Sorrry, all the above is for KTP, not Kruger.

_________________Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away

I too am an avid planner and list maker - usually start months in advance of any camping holiday - honestly, I get so excited about the planning that its a huge part of going on holiday.

We usually braai ( lots of pork fillets marinaded in honey and soy sauce - great for sarmies the next day if there's any left) and make at least a couple of stews (chicken fillets, soft shin or goulash) in the Dutchie. We always take 2 Dutch ovens - one for the meal and the other for a beer bread or applecrumble or bread and butter pudding - yum ... If I don't make a bread to go with the Dutchie I put a pot of wheat (stampkoring) on the gas to cook.

_________________We can do no great things, only small things with great love. ~Mother Teresa

Some people come into our lives, leave footprints on our hearts and we are never the same ...

Mix soft butter and sugar together. Add sifted flour and salt. Mix bicarb into the milk and then add to flour mixture. Add jam and ginger and mix. Scoopspoonsful of dough into the boiling syrup (see below). Turn down the heat so that it just simmers. Cook sloooowly together for about 60 minutes or maybe a little more. Serve with Ultramel or fresh cream if you can get hold of some inthe Park.

Syrup:5 cups of water2 cups of sugar Boil the water and sugar together in a large pot.

Enjoy and be ready to make it again SOON as your family will defenately ask you to do so

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